lunedì 10 agosto 2009

Giorgio Vittadini, founder of the Society of the Works and chairman of the Foundation for Subsidiarity, located in Milan, Italy, interviewed by Il Corriere della Sera talks about subsidiarity – a central issue in the encyclical.

 

In the encyclical of Benedict XVI there is the idea that development must make room for the “principle of gratuity”. Is this utopia?

 

Even a buffer or a machine to mill wood may be an aspect of gratuity.

 

What do you mean?

 

Think of the world of small and medium enterprises, of the many people who seek profit, as a tool for living and to live better, but also for the common good. They are entrepreneurs who like to have a business and do things well, who care about their product because they want a comfortable environment, an alliance with the worker, to make the territory richer. I think of the tradition of the Italian market, of the Catholic and the worker movement ...

 

Is it connected?

 

It's a factor. To take the example of Italy, these are movements that have infused capitalism with the ideals of justice and the pursuit of the common good, beyond the abuse and criticism of financial liberalism. Moreover, at the beginning of the last century, the rural savings banks, savings & loans, or cooperative banks were engaged in the business of finance creating and supporting the common good.

 

This is no utopia, then?

 

This is a prophetic reading, rather, based on reality. Subsidiarity and the market are understood and lived based on a conception of man. Years ago people talked about human resources, here man is placed at the heart of the economy: charity in truth. It is revolutionary: charity - the "moved gift of oneself," said Don Giussani - is the truth of man made in the image of God, who is love. So man is responsible toward other men.

 

And so?

 

And so, subsidiarity is the appreciation of this man who is not alone and is capable of doing the good. It arises from a question: How can I favor the common good? With the state, from above? Or rather, giving value to all those people, movements and intermediate bodies of society which from below, being an expression of man, cannot but act for the good?

 

The Pope refers to globalization ...

 

The government from above, as a union of states, is likely to have no effect because it does not appreciate individual persons capable of doing good. Worldwide, there are local communities, associations, movements, actually working for freedom and justice, the environment or against child labor. There are people like the economist Muhammad Yunus who should be involved. There is an interconnection of virtuous players that says much than the theoretical models.

 

And the Italian reality can be a model?

 

In Italy there is already a market much closer to that spoken of in the encyclical. From small and medium-sized companies to associations of artisans, to the League of Cooperatives, to Society of the Works, we have an economy that accepts the market while keeping in mind a higher goal.

 

And ethics?

 

The market can be understood as pure selfishness, or as sharing and offering goods that improve the lives of people. One of the great merits of the encyclical is not to say "no" to the market and enterprise and "yes" only to the non-profit and volunteer sector. Business and finance are redefined less hysterically, an idea of a more nuanced market is offered. This represents the end of an ideology of the economy, that defines itself without need of man.

 

Okay, but what about the buffer?

 

Adam Smith distinguished between value in use and value in trade. And there is value in an exchange because something is useful, well made and beautiful, so I live better. If profit is an instrument, what is its purpose? The "moved gift of oneself ". The small businessman looks at profit but at the same time tries to make his product better. The idea of the Pope is for an economy richer, in color and more real.

 

Gian Guido Vecchi in Il Corriere della Sera